Judges 4:1-24, Genesis 3:14-15; Judges 9:53, 56-57; II Samuel 20:23; Ezra 9:8, Isaiah 22:20-24, Colossians 2:14
Please turn your Bibles with me to Judges Chapter 4 this morning. There was a Presbyterian preacher in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s named T. Dwight Talmage. It is said that he was a word artist, or he painted pictures in the minds of his parishioners with his sermons. As I was thinking about Dr. Talmage this past week, and considering our message today, I couldn’t help but think about the many wonderful pictures that God has given us in His word; small pictures that lead us to a much bigger picture.
So, this morning, with the help of God, I want to take you on a little tour of the Bible and show you some of these small pictures that make up a much bigger picture, and I will share with a message titled, “IT’S ALL NAILED DOWN!”
In Judges Chapter 4, we find that the nation of Israel is on a downward spiral. They have suffered oppression at the hands of Jabin the Canaanite King for some 20 years. And because no men have the audacity to lead the nation of Israel, God has appointed a woman by the name of Deborah to Judge over them. Deborah has a general over the Army of Israel named Barak. Now Barak doesn’t want to confront the wicked King Jabin, or the General over the Canaanites, Sisera. However, Deborah says to him, “GO! For this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hands. . .” Barak said, “I’ll go . . . but only if you go with me.” So, Deborah, being the modest type said, “Surely, I will go with you.”
Once Barak began his attack on Sisera and began destroying his Army and his chariots – Sisera then fled on foot and ran to the home of Heber and his wife, Jael. Now, what you need to understand about Heber and Jael is that they were opportunist. If it looked like the Canaanites were going to win, they would be on the side of the Canaanites. If the children of Israel were going to win, then they would be on the side of the Childrean of Israel.
So here Sisera runs to the home of Heber to hide from Barak. When he gets there, he is invited in by Jael, Heber’s wife, and she gives him a warm blanket to cover with. He is tired and thirsty, and he ask for a cup of water to drink, then tells her that if any man comes and ask if he is there, she is to say no.
So, Jael then goes a gets Sisera a warm cup of goats milk, cause nothing will make you sleep more than a warm glass of goats milk. Once he drinks it, he falls asleep.
And then verse 21 of our text gives us the first of many wonderful pictures that I want to share with you this morning that will make up a much larger picture. Verse 21 says, “Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.” I love the simplicity of the King James Bible – don’t you?
Remember now, this is only a small picture of a much larger picture. Turn with me to Genesis chapter 3. In verse 14 and 15, the Bible says, “And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
So, the first picture that is beginning to form is that of Bruising the Serpents head.
- We see first that of Christ bruising the head of Satan;
- Then we see Sisera’s head being nailed to ground!
In Judges Chapter 8, after Gideon dies, another wicked leader takes over by the name of Abimilech. And in Judges chapter 9 and verse 53, after this wicked leader had killed 70 of his brethren to take power, a woman drops a milestone off a wall and drops it on his head – and because he did not want to die at the hands of a woman, he asked his servant to thrust him through with a sword – so Abimilech died as well. But verses 56 and 57 are very telling, they says – “Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads:
Now I don’t know about you, but I see a much bigger picture forming here. If that is not enough to convince you, think about Haman and Esther in the Book of Esther. Haman was a wicked servant of King Arterxes that wanted to kill Esther Uncle Mordecai – who was a good man. However, his wickedness was turned against him and he was hung by his head!
In II Samuel chapter 20, after King David’s son Absalom rebelled against his father, and is now dead, another named Sheba rose-up against God’s anointed King and tried to take over. David sent his servant Joab to pursue Sheba – and when he tried to hide from Joab, the women cut off his head according to verse 23.
And over and over in the Bible, you can see where God fulfills his promise to put “15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
The first picture shows us the Bruising of the Serpent’s head. However, the picture I would like to focus on tonight, is the last part of the verse where it says “Thou shalt bruise his heel.”
What is so significant about that statement? Well, what I believe is this: If you get a head wound – that is VERY significant and can have horrible consequences. However, I do not know many people (in fact not any) that have died from their heels being injured.
Now, what was the instrument used to bruise Christ – and by the way, was also used to defeat Satan? Nails!
Our text verse says that Jael nailed his head to the ground – and he died!
HEY, PRAISE GOD – IT’S ALL NAILED DOWN!
Let’s focus now on some small pictures of that nail that will paint a much bigger picture: And we will get our first glimpse of this nail in Ezra chapter 9.
The children of Israel had been in bondage for many years, but for just a space of time, God had allowed a remnant to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple – and Ezra 9:8, states, “And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.”
After they repented of their sin, after they had nailed some things down – He gave them a NAIL in HIS Holy Place. That Nail is the Word of God. Now, my question to you is this, “What else do we know about the Word of God?” “That the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us.” Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 22. Beginning with verse 20, the Bible says, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: 21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.”
These verses are a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- In Judges Chapter 4, we saw that Satan was Nailed Down
- In Ezra Chapter 9, we saw that the Word of God was Nailed Down,
- Now in Isaiah Chapter 20, we see Salvation is Nailed Down.
God hung His whole plan of Salvation on this NAIL IN A SURE PLACE.
I’m glad thank God this morning that I have a NAIL IN A SURE PLACE!
It is on THIS NAIL that everything in the Father’s House hangs.
And it is on this NAIL:
- That all my sin hangs;
- All my shame hangs;
- All my failures hang;
And according to Colossians 2:13 and 14, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
- We have a Firm Foundation: Isaiah said we have “a nail in a sure place.”
- We have a Full Identity: Not a half identity, we are the kids of the Most High God.”
- We have a Full Pardon: “We are not defined by our past sins and past failures, we have been fully forgiven and fully set free.”
- We have a Victorious Savior: That’s why we can sing “Victory in Jesus”
Thank God this morning, IT’S ALL NAILED DOWN!
Fighting for My Pea Patch 